The Effect of Electronic Dialogue Journaling On Jordanian Basic Stage EFL Students' Writing Performance

The Effect of Electronic Dialogue Journaling on
Jordanian Basic Stage EFL Students’ Writing

Performance

Abdel Salam Abdel Khalek El-Koumy
Professor of Curricula and Instruction of English

as a Foreign Language at Amman Arab University
for Graduate Studies, Jordan

Zahra' Imad Mirjan
Instructor of English
at the Islamic Educational School, Jordan

May 2008
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Background of the Study
The communication and information technology revolution has set in
motion a worldwide process of transition from an industrial to an information
oriented society. Jordan has realized the important role of information and
communication technology in this information-based society. With the
ascension of His Majesty King Abdullah II to the throne, the stage was set for
the development of a new vision for the economic development of Jordan. His
Majesty (2000) has provided the following vision for Jordan's development.
We will ensure that everybody is computer-literate. Every

single school and community will be wired to be able to do
that, simply because this is the type of quality and talent that
we want in our workforce …. It is time to widen the scope of
our participation in the knowledge economy from being
mere isolated islands on the periphery of progress, to
becoming an oasis of technology that can offer the prospect
of economies of scale for those who venture to invest in our
young available talent.
To realize His Majesty's vision, the Ministry of Education developed an

education reform project. This project is called Education Reform for
Knowledge Economy (ERfKE). The aim of this project is to equip teachers and
students with the skills needed for the information-based society.
In response to ERfKE, the Ministry of Information and Communication

Technology provided nearly all schools with computer labs and connected these
labs to the World Wide Web. Furthermore, the Ministry of Education (2003)
developed the General Framework for Curriculum and Assessment and asked

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curriculum designers to work in light of this framework which aims to achieve
the following:
1. Teachers' use of computers to:
(a) achieve the outcomes of the curriculum,
(b) communicate with parents about children's progress,
(c) grow and develop professionally,
(d) expand their knowledge and supplement textbooks,
(e) create multimedia presentations,
(f) assess their students' progress, and
(g) make students' assessments readily available to parents.
2. Students' use of computers to:
(a) communicate with other students in Jordan and other parts of the
world,
(b) deepen their knowledge, do research, and broaden their self
learning,
(c) write essays and answer tests,
(d) collect, evaluate and analyze information,
(e) create multimedia presentations, and
(f) assess their own learning outcomes.
In light of the previously mentioned guidelines, the new ELT textbooks in

Jordan focus on developing students’ ability to acquire, organize, assess and
disseminate information through information networks. These textbooks also
require teachers to equip students with electronic communication skills so that
they can function properly in the global information-based society.
Although writing in English as a foreign language has become an

important skill for communication in the information-based society, the
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researchers felt that Jordanian upper basic stage students cannot express,
support or organize their own points of view while writing in English.
A major cause of Jordanian basic stage students’ poor writing skill is that
their teachers focus on the subskills of writing rather than using it for
communication. Another cause may be students' demotivation for writing due to
their fear from the teacher’s red blood ink.
Research Problem and Purpose of the Study
The problem of this study was that Jordanian upper basic stage EFL
students exhibited low writing performance. Therefore, the present study aimed
at investigating the effect of electronic dialogue journaling on their writing
performance in an attempt to find a solution to this problem.
Research Hypothesis
On the basis of the theoretical and practical literature reviewed in the study,
the researchers hypothesized that there would be a significant difference in the
EFL eighth graders’ writing performance between the experimental group who
used electronic dialogue journaling and the control group who used the
traditional method in favor of the experimental group.
Significance of the Study

This study is significant for two reasons. First, it helps students master the
electronic communication skills that enable them to function properly in the
global information-based society. Second, it makes use of the computer labs and

the internet in the Jordanian schools and copes with the MOE vision of
educational reform.
Operational Definition of Terms

The terms below, wherever seen, have the following definitions:
Electronic dialogue journaling: For the present study, electronic dialogue
journaling is defined as a written conversation in which a student and a teacher
communicate regularly via e-mail. The student writes as much as s/he can about
a certain topic and the teacher responds to her/his writing by focusing on
content rather than form. The student then reads and responds to what has been
written by the teacher.
Writing performance: For the present study, this term is defined as expressing
oneself on a certain topic through the written word with good quality and
enough quantity.
Traditional method is the students' use of paper and pencil in writing about a
certain topic. The teacher then reads and corrects each student's mistakes. Each
student then receives her/his own composition to rewrite it, incorporating
corrections.
Limitations of the Study

The generalization of the results of the study is limited to the EFL eighth
graders. It is also limited to the instruments which the researchers used to
collect data for the study.

Review of Related Literature
This section is divided into two parts. The first part is devoted to the
theoretical literature on electronic writing and the second part deals with the
research studies conducted in this area.
Theoretical literature
Much information has been written about electronic writing as an

instructional method and its importance for improving students’ attitudes and
motivation and developing their writing performance. According to Bangert-
Drowns (1993), using the computer for writing allows students to make changes
to text that would have been more cumbersome on paper. He maintains that
these changes, which range from addition and deletion to more substantial
revision, allow the student to attend to higher order thinking. Therefore, users of
the computer can write longer compositions and engage in more revision of
their writing than users of paper and pencil. He adds that ease of revision
combined with improved appearance of writing products and excitement of
using a high technology can collectively contribute to the improvement of
students' attitudes towards writing.
Moreover, Sorcinelli (1995) states that the internet offers teachers an

excellent opportunity to respond to each student's journals within a day or two
of submission. Therefore, students learn better when they receive quick
feedback before the course moves on to another topic.
In the same vein, El-Hindi (1998) states that e-mail offers an effective
means for implementing constructivist strategies that would be difficult to
implement through other media because it gives students the opportunities to

interact with others as they construct knowledge about the world and about
themselves.
Along with the same lines, Beauvios (1998)) mentions that electronic
writing can provide important literacy learning opportunities for students by
making reading and writing authentic. It can also force students to be in more
contact with the target language than in the traditional classroom.
In a like manner, Bollati (2002) mentions that electronic journals provide

a more personal writing opportunity for students who learn academic writing. In
addition, electronic journals help students improve their own writing fluency
and allow the teacher and the students to develop a more intimate form of
communication.
In addition, Doherty and Mayer (2003) state that e-mail communication

between the teacher and the students provides a new space—new in scope,
location, time and mode—in which relationships can be built. They further state
that students' academic achievement is enhanced in schools that support
personal and sustained connections between students and teachers in the school
setting.
By the same token, El-Koumy (2004a) states that the advantages of using
electronic dialogue journals for both instructional and assessment purposes
include individualizing language teaching, making students feel that their
writing has a value, promoting students’ reflection and autonomous learning,
increasing students’ confidence in their own ability to learn, helping the
instructor adapt instruction to better meet students’ needs, providing a forum for
sharing ideas and assessing students’ literacy skills, using writing and reading

for genuine communication and increasing opportunities for interaction between
students and teachers.
Besides, Williams (2005) mentions that when students write online, they
think of themselves as writers and find more pleasure in what they write on
screen than in what they write on paper. They also make use of the computer
tools such as spelling and grammar checkers.
In contrast to the previously mentioned literature, very little information

has been written about the demerits of using the internet for teaching and
learning in general (Hawisher and Moran, 1993). These demerits have nothing
to do with the effectiveness of the internet as a medium for instruction because
this depends largely on how to use it. They are only related to the financial cost
the internet imposes on schools. However, if computers already exist and are
connected to the World Wide Web, as in the study situation, the use of the
internet will not represent a financial burden on schools.
Research studies
A review of research related to electronic writing revealed that many
studies were conducted in this area all over the world. Ellis (1995) investigated
the effect of using e-mail on the development of students' writing skill. The
subjects for the study were fifty students in Montana State University. During
the Fall and Spring semesters of 1994 and 1995, one group of students was
asked to write compositions via e-mail, whereas the other group was asked to
write on paper. Findings revealed that students who used e-mail made more
improvements in the writing skills than those who used paper and pencil.

Belisle (1996) explored the effects of electronic dialogue journaling on
first and second year Japanese English majors' writing at Mukogawa Fort
Wright Institute. Findings showed that the participants’ communicative writing
skills were improved and their confidence was built as mistakes were tolerated.
Liaw (1996) analyzed the e-mail entries written by Taiwanese EFL

students in interaction with native speakers of English. The subjects for the
study were 22 university students. These subjects were paired with pre-service
EFL teacher trainees in the United States. The discourse of 87 e-mail entries
written by the participants was analyzed over a period of a year. Findings
revealed improvement in the participants' writing skill in general, and
grammatical and lexical accuracy in particular.
Stewart-Dore (1996) investigated the effect of electronic dialogue

journaling on students' writing at Miyazaki International College. He asked his
students to write dialogue journals to their secret assigned partners. Findings
showed that students enjoyed the activity and their journal entries revealed
improvement in writing fluency. He concluded that as the students continued
exchanging e-mail messages, they tended to write longer and shared more ideas
with their partners.
Trenchs (1996) used electronic mail as a medium of instruction to

improve students' writing in Spanish as a second language. Three students
engaged in e-mail transmission with her. Results revealed that these students
were self-motivated to use Spanish in a new and creative way in meaningful and
authentic texts.

Grosz-Gluckman (1997) examined the utility of electronic mail as an
instructional tool for limited-English-proficient adult females who had made
little progress in learning writing in English as a second language. Six subjects,
aged 30-50 years, enrolled in a university ESL program, produced 25 e-mail
exchanges over a five week period. These e-mail exchanges were analyzed in
terms of number of words, acquisition of new vocabulary directly related to
comprehensible input and syntactic complexity resulting from the use of
connectors in the subordination of clauses. Results indicated that writing via e-
mail had a positive effect on the writing skills of adult learners.
Gonzalez-Bueno (1998) investigated the effect of electronic dialogue

journaling on Spanish L2 discourse. Findings revealed that this method
improved the quality of students’ writing. Her observation also revealed that
students enjoyed the activity as they received positive feedback for each entry
and were confident in presenting ideas as their entries were not graded. She
concluded that electronic dialogue journaling could encourage students to
communicate without fear of making mistakes.
MacArthur (1998) investigated the effect of electronic dialogue

journaling on the writing of students with learning disabilities. Five students
with severe writing problems wrote dialogue journals to their teacher using the
word processor. Results of the study revealed that dialogue journal writing had
a strong positive effect on the legibility and spelling of written entries for four
of the five students. At the beginning of the experiment, the writing of these
four students ranged from 55% to 85% legible words and from 42% to 75%
correctly spelled words. At the end of the experiment, the four students
increased their percentage of both legible and correctly spelled words into the
90-100% range.

Britsch (2000) investigated the effect of electronic dialogue journaling on
children's writing abilities. Throughout a two-year project, data were collected
by compiling the e-mail correspondences that took place weekly between adults
(the researcher and five graduate students) and six children from September
through April of each school year. Results of the study revealed that electronic
dialogue journaling had a positive effect on children's writing abilities.
Gonzalez-Bueno and Perez (2000) investigated the effects of electronic

mail on the lexical and grammatical accuracy and quantity of language
produced by learners of Spanish as a second language. Results of the study
revealed that electronic mail had a positive effect on the amount of language
produced by learners, but did not have a significant effect on lexical or
grammatical accuracy. Results also revealed that electronic mail had a positive
effect on students' attitudes towards learning the target language.
Murphy-Lee (2000) investigated the effects of electronic dialogue

journaling on second-grade Russian students' writing proficiency. Students were
required to e-mail their instructor once a week in the target language. Results
revealed that e-mail dialogue journaling improved the participants' writing
proficiency and that the rapport between the instructor and the students had
improved since electronic dialogue journals were often of a personal nature.
Furthermore, an overall improvement in the quality of the participants'
discourse was also noticed at the end of the academic year.
Karchmer (2001) investigated thirteen K-12 teachers' reports of how the

internet influenced literacy and literacy instruction in their classrooms. The
teachers, including ten women and three men, represented eleven different


states in the USA and were considered exemplary at using technology by their
colleagues. Findings revealed that these teachers noticed an increase in their
students' motivation to write. They also noticed that e-mail had a great influence
on the progress of their students' writing.
Michaels (2001) investigated the effects of e-mail writing on children's'

writing and motivation. The subjects for the study were five first-grade and five
fourth-grade children. Data sources were observations, interviews and children's
e-mails. Findings revealed that children were motivated to write and their
writing was improved.
Stanford and Siders (2001) investigated the effects of pen pal and e-pal
writing on the writing skills of students with and without disabilities. They
paired university teacher-education students with public school students for pen
pal and e-pal writing. Pen pal learners used handwritten letters to communicate
with the university students. E-pal learners used e-mail to communicate with the
same university students. Control group learners wrote to an imaginary
correspondent and realized no feedback from their communication. The subjects
for the study were 80 students in grades 6-8. All of them wrote friendly letters
twice a week for an eight-week period. Results revealed that e-pal learners with
and without disabilities made more improvements in the quality and quantity of
writing compared to other learners.
Colleen (2003) explored the successes that resulted when fifth grade
students composed journals via the internet. Twenty-eight students participated
in the study for four months. Every student was required to send at least one e-
mail a week to the teacher describing and reacting to the novel s/he read
independently. The teacher responded to each student. Results revealed that
students produced a variety of journal entries, formulated journals


independently, improved their typing skills, and felt comfortable using the
online checker to correct their spelling mistakes.
Shang (2007) examined the effects of using e-mail on EFL writing

performance in aspects of syntactic complexity, grammatical accuracy and
lexical density. The subjects for this study were forty non-traditional EFL
students enrolled in an intermediate reading class at a university in Taiwan.
Findings revealed that students made improvements in syntactic complexity and
grammatical accuracy, but not in lexical density. Moreover, findings from
students' self-reports revealed that e-mail writing improved students’ foreign
language learning and developed their attitudes towards English.
As indicated from the previous literature, many studies were conducted

on electronic writing all over the world. Almost all these studies revealed that
electronic writing improved the writing performance of students of different
nationalities, including American (Karchmer, 2001), Japanese (Belisle, 1996),
Russian (Murphy-Lee, 2000), Spanish (Trenchs, 1996), and Taiwanese (Liaw,
1996; Shang, 2007). Some of these studies also revealed that electronic writing
helped students with limited English proficiency (Grosz-Gluckman, 1997) and
learning disabilities (MacArthur, 1998; Stanford and Siders 2001) improve their
writing performance. Furthermore, some of these studies indicated that
electronic writing improved students’ attitudes towards learning the
second/foreign language (Gonzalez-Bueno and Perez, 2000; Shang, 2007) and
built their motivation to write in L1 and L2 (Karchmer, 2001; Michaels, 2001;
Trenchs, 1996).


The previously mentioned review of the literature on electronic writing
also revealed a lack of research on this method in Jordan. Therefore, this study
aimed at filling this gap.
Methodology
This section discusses the methodology which the researchers followed in

the present study. It includes subjects, research design, variables, instruments,
materials and procedures of the study.
Subjects of the study
The subjects of this study consisted of fifty eighth-grade female students in

the Islamic Educational School at Amman Fourth Directorate of Education
during the first semester of the academic year 2007/2008. These subjects were
assigned to an experimental group and a control group by numbering all of them
serially and assigning the odd-numbered subjects to the former group and the
even-numbered ones to the latter group. All of them had been taught English as
a foreign language for seven years before the start of the study.
Research design
This study utilized a pretest-posttest control group experimental design.

In this design the researchers used an experimental group and a control group.
Both groups took a pre-test to measure their writing performance before
conducting the experiment. During the experiment, the experimental group
wrote journals via the internet and the control group wrote compositions using


paper and pencil. After the experiment, the same test was administered as a
posttest to investigate any significant differences in writing performance
between the two groups.
Variables of the study
The present study included the following variables:
1. Independent variables:
a. Electronic dialogue journaling
b. Traditional method
2. Dependent variable:
The dependent variable of the study was EFL students’ writing

performance.
Instruments of the study
To achieve the aim of the study, the researchers used the following
instruments:
1. A writing performance test
A writing test was developed by the researchers to measure the students’

writing performance before and after conducting the experiment. This test
required students to write about fifteen lines on the qualities of good parents. To
ensure the validity of this test, a jury of three EFL teachers and three


supervisors was consulted. All members of the jury agreed that the topic was
understandable and suitable for eighth-grade students' level of writing
proficiency. To ensure its reliability, the writing performance test was
administrated to a sample of twenty-five eighth-grade students out of the sample
of the study during the second semester of the academic year 2006/2007 and
was repeated ten days later on the same sample to assess its stability over time.
Pearson correlation coefficient was found to be 0.87 which indicated that the
test scores were stable over time.
2. A scale for marking EFL students' writing
The researchers adopted El-Koumy's (1991) scale for marking EFL

students' writing as well as its instructions (see Appendix I). This scale is
divided into five major components: content, organization, word-choice,
grammar and mechanics. It was proved to be valid and reliable.
Materials for the study
The researchers overviewed the prescribed book for eighth graders and its
supplementary materials. Then, they developed a list of eight open-ended
writing topics (see Appendix II). These topics were used with both the
experimental group and the control group. To ensure the validity of these topics,
a jury of three EFL teachers and three supervisors was consulted. This jury
suggested that two of the topics should be reworded to be understandable for the
students. Their suggestions were taken into consideration and the topics were
changed accordingly.


Procedures of the study
The researchers followed the following procedures to conduct the

experiment:
1. Getting the approval of the general manger of the Islamic Educational

School to conduct the experiment.
2. Pre-testing the experimental group and the control group, in the first week of
September of the scholastic year 2007/2008, to measure their writing
performance before conducting the experiment. The results of the analysis of
the pre-test scores are shown in table (1).

Table (1)
The T-Value of the Difference in the Mean Scores Between the

Experimental Group and the Control Group on the Pre-test
Group N Mean SD DF T Sig.
Experimental 25 6.08 1.63
Control 25 5.98 1.69 48 -0.64 0.53
Table (1) shows that the mean score of the experimental group was 6.08 with
a standard deviation of 1.63, and the mean score of the control group was
5.98 with a standard deviation of 1.69. It also shows that the difference in the
mean scores between the experimental group and the control group was not
statistically significant (t = 0.64, p = 0.53). This indicated that the two


groups were equivalent in writing performance before conducting the
experiment.
3. Conducting the experiment from September 10 to January 10, during the first
semester of the academic year 2007/2008. For the experimental group, the
teacher (second researcher) accompanied the students to the computer lab in
each writing session. She made sure that every student was able to use the
internet and had an e-mail account before starting the experiment. She also
gave students the e-mail address they were going to use for writing their
journals. After that, the teacher and the students interacted electronically by
using the e-mail for four months. The students first wrote to the teacher who
responded to their entries by focusing on content rather than form. The give-
and-take on each topic took about two weeks. As for the control group, the
teacher asked students to write about each topic using paper and pencil.
After that, she collected the students' compositions, corrected mistakes and
gave the compositions back to the students to rewrite them, taking
corrections into consideration. Each topic took two sessions, one per week.
4. Post-testing the experimental group and the control group on January 11,
2008 to measure their writing performance after treatment.
5. Analyzing the collected data using the t-test.


Findings and Discussion
The results of the analysis of the post-test scores are shown in table (2)
below.
Table (2)
The T-Value of the Difference in the Mean Scores Between the
Experimental group and the Control Group on the Post-Test
Group N M SD T DF Sig.
Experimental 25 8.64 1.16 4.36 48 0.00

Control 25 6.96 1.54
Table (2) shows that the mean score of the experimental group was 8.64
with a standard deviation of 1.16, while the control group's mean score was 6.96
with a standard deviation of 1.54. It also shows that the difference in the mean
scores between the experimental group and the control group was statistically
significant (t= 4.36, p= 0.00). Therefore, the hypothesis of the study was
accepted. This finding supports Piaget’s theory that students learn more
effectively through social interaction. It also supports the premise that the
content of writing is far more important than form and that the latter comes
naturally from the emphasis on the former.
The better achievement of the experimental group students in EFL

writing performance could be attributed to many reasons. First, the excitement
of using technology combined with intimate and genuine communication might
have built students’ motivation to write in English as a foreign language, which


could in turn make EFL writing a motivating activity. In support of this
interpretation some of the previous studies found that electronic dialogue
journals fostered students’ motivation to write in both L1 and L2 (Karchmer,
2001; Michaels, 2001; Trenchs, 1996) and built positive attitudes towards
learning the second/foreign language (Gonzalez-Bueno and Perez, 2000; Shang,
2007). Second, the teacher’s tolerance of mistakes might have built students
self-confidence and self-esteem, which could in turn encourage them to express
their own points of view. In support of this interpretation, Gonzalez-Bueno’s
(1998) observation during her study revealed that electronic dialogue journals
encouraged students to write without fear of making mistakes and to pay more
attention to idea development. Third, individualizing instruction through
electronic dialogue journaling might have helped the teacher address specific
needs, current knowledge and learning style of each student in the experimental
group. Moreover, this individualized instruction might have helped the teacher
diagnose the writing difficulties of each student and suggest remedies for
overcoming these difficulties. Fourth, the interaction between the teacher and
each student might have improved students’ thinking skills which are necessary
for writing because writing is putting thoughts on paper. Moreover, this
interaction might have motivated students to broaden their linguistic
competence to meet its requirements. Fifth, students’ use of spelling and
grammar checkers might have improved the accuracy of their writing and given
them the opportunity to attend to ideas while writing. Finally, electronic journal
writing might have developed the relationship between the teacher and the
students which could in turn make writing an enjoyable activity. In support of
this interpretation, Murphy-Lee (2000) found that electronic dialogue journals
improved the rapport between the instructor and the students.


Conclusion
This study suggests that electronic dialogue journaling leads to superior
improvement of writing performance compared to the traditional method.
However, this conclusion is limited by the participants' level, the length of the
study and the operationalization of the dependent and independent variables of
the study.
Recommendations
In light of the results of the study, the researchers recommend that EFL
writing should be taught through electronic journal interaction and that EFL
teachers should emphasize the content rather than the form of writing and adapt
instruction to meet individual needs in writing. Moreover, the Jordanian
Ministry of Education is recommended to make internet facilities more
accessible and reliable in all public schools.
Suggestions for Future Research

Building on the present study, future researchers are recommended to
investigate the effect of electronic dialogue journaling on students’ reading and
speaking skills and their attitudes towards learning English as a foreign
language.


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Curriculum (LINC) (pp 9-14). Toowoomba, Qld: University of Southern
Queensland and Australian Literacy Educators' Association for the
Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs'
National Development Project.


Trenchs, M. (1996). Writing strategies in a second language: Three case studies
of learing using electronic mail. The Canadian Modern Language Review,
52(3), 464-497.
Williams, T. (2005). Leading double lives: Literacy and technology in and out
of school. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 48 (7), 702-706.


Appendix I
El-Koumy's Scale for Marking EFL Students' Writing
1. Content (3 marks)
 3 marks for adequate information (From 15 to 13 lines)
 2 marks for fairly adequate information (From 12 to 9 lines)
 1 mark for little information (From 8 to 5 lines)
 1/2 mark for very little information (From 4 to 1 lines)
 Zero for no/irrelevant information
2. Organization (1 mark)
 1 mark for well-arranged and coherent sentences/paragraphs.
 1/2 mark for well-ordered but not completely coherent
sentences/paragraphs
 Zero for disorganized and incoherent sentences/paragraphs
3. Grammatical structures (2 marks)

 2 marks for grammatical accuracy in the entire composition
 1/4 (one-fourth) mark is deducted for each grammatical mistake
 Zero for many grammatical mistakes (8 or more)
4. Word choice (1 mark)

 1 mark for fully-acceptable choice of lexical items (vocabulary and
idioms) in the entire composition
 1/8 (one-eighth) mark is deducted for each unacceptable choice of
lexical items
 Zero for many mistakes in choosing the appropriate words (8 or more)


5. Mechanics (3 marks)
(a) Spelling (1 mark)
 1 mark for a composition free from spelling mistakes (eliminating
structural mistakes)
 1/8 (one-eighth) mark is deducted for each mistake in spelling
 Zero for many mistakes in spelling (8 or more)
(b) Punctuation (1 mark)
 1 mark for a composition free from mistakes in punctuation
 1/8 (one-eighth) mark is deducted for each mistake in punctuation
 Zero for many mistakes in punctuation (8 or more)
(c) Capitalization (1 mark)
 1 mark for a composition free from capitalization mistakes
 1/8 (one-eighth) mark is deducted for each mistake in capitalization
 Zero for many mistakes in capitalization (8 or more)
Instructions for Using the Scale

1. If the content is irrelevant, no marks should be given to the other
components.
2. Repeated errors in lexical items, spelling and capitalization should be
ignored.
3. Criteria of marking grammatical structures, word choice and mechanics
are based on the length of composition expected from students. If a student
produces a shorter composition than the length required (13-15 lines), the
criteria of marking these components should be changed as shown in the
following table:


Criteria for Marking Grammatical Structures, Word Choice and
Mechanics According to the Length of Composition
Length of Criteria for marking Criteria for marking
composition grammatical word choice, spelling,
structures punctuation and
capitalization
From 9 to 12 lines 1/2 mark is deducted 1/4 mark is deducted
for each mistake. for each mistake.
Zero is given for four Zero is given for four

mistakes or more. mistakes or more.
From 5 to 8 lines 1 mark is deducted for 1/2 mark is deducted
each mistake. for each mistake.
Zero is given for two Zero is given for two

mistakes or more. mistakes or more.
From 1 to 4 lines 2 marks are deducted 1 mark is deducted for
for one mistake. one mistake.
Zero is given for one Zero is given for one

mistake or more. mistake or more.


Appendix II
Topic List
1. Yourself
2. Tourism in Jordan
3. Unforgettable day
4. Your favorite hero
5. Five rules for adults to follow in their relation with teenagers.
6. Charity
7. Your culture and the British culture
8. A world in which everyone is the same


The Effect of Electronic Dialogue Journaling On Jordanian Basic Stage EFL Students' Writing Performance

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The Effect of Electronic Dialogue Journaling On Jordanian Basic Stage EFL Students' Writing Performance

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The Effect of Electronic Dialogue Journaling on

Jordanian Basic Stage EFL Students’ Writing

Abdel Salam Abdel Khalek El-Koumy

Professor of Curricula and Instruction of English

Zahra' Imad Mirjan

We will ensure that everybody is computer-literate. Every

To realize His Majesty's vision, the Ministry of Education developed an

In response to ERfKE, the Ministry of Information and Communication

In light of the previously mentioned guidelines, the new ELT textbooks in

Although writing in English as a foreign language has become an

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2364535

Research Problem and Purpose of the Study

Significance of the Study

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2364535

Operational Definition of Terms

Limitations of the Study

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Much information has been written about electronic writing as an

Moreover, Sorcinelli (1995) states that the internet offers teachers an

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2364535

In a like manner, Bollati (2002) mentions that electronic journals provide

In addition, Doherty and Mayer (2003) state that e-mail communication

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2364535

In contrast to the previously mentioned literature, very little information

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2364535

Liaw (1996) analyzed the e-mail entries written by Taiwanese EFL

Stewart-Dore (1996) investigated the effect of electronic dialogue

Trenchs (1996) used electronic mail as a medium of instruction to

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2364535

Gonzalez-Bueno (1998) investigated the effect of electronic dialogue

MacArthur (1998) investigated the effect of electronic dialogue

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2364535

Gonzalez-Bueno and Perez (2000) investigated the effects of electronic

Murphy-Lee (2000) investigated the effects of electronic dialogue

Karchmer (2001) investigated thirteen K-12 teachers' reports of how the

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2364535

Michaels (2001) investigated the effects of e-mail writing on children's'

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2364535

Shang (2007) examined the effects of using e-mail on EFL writing

As indicated from the previous literature, many studies were conducted

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2364535

This section discusses the methodology which the researchers followed in

Subjects of the study

The subjects of this study consisted of fifty eighth-grade female students in

This study utilized a pretest-posttest control group experimental design.

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2364535

Variables of the study

The present study included the following variables:

a. Electronic dialogue journaling

The dependent variable of the study was EFL students’ writing

Instruments of the study

1. A writing performance test

A writing test was developed by the researchers to measure the students’

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2364535

2. A scale for marking EFL students' writing

The researchers adopted El-Koumy's (1991) scale for marking EFL

Materials for the study

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The researchers followed the following procedures to conduct the

1. Getting the approval of the general manger of the Islamic Educational

The T-Value of the Difference in the Mean Scores Between the

Group N Mean SD DF T Sig.

Experimental 25 6.08 1.63